Food pantry under holiday pressure

By Carolyn Cole
Published on November 15, 2008

Mustang Kiwanians will spend about $1,300 for turkeys so local needy families will have a hearty Thanksgiving dinner, and more will be needed for Christmas.

Volunteer Glen Muse said the Kiwanis need money to help provide Thanksgiving dinner for more than 100 families who have already signed up for food baskets, which will be delivered Nov. 22. He said they expect that number to grow this week to closer to the 120 families who received help last Thanksgiving.

“The list is still growing,” he said.

This year, Kiwanians have mostly received referrals for Thanksgiving food baskets through the schools, volunteer Cecil Wolf said. With the tough financial times, he said volunteers wanted to make certain helping children remained a top priority.

“There are kids out there they, just need some help,” he said. “That’s why we are here, trying to make our community a better place.”

Canned and dry food donations at five Mustang schools will help needy families celebrate Thanksgiving. Muse said food drives are continuing at several schools and churches that will help volunteers provide meals for families this Thanksgiving and Christmas. While he said the community is coming through as usual to support the Kiwanis pantry, the need is greater than ever.

Each Saturday, Kiwanians open their food pantry to any Mustang School District resident who needs help.
Muse said the volunteers are feeding 10 to 20 families on average each week, which is double the amount needing help about three years ago.

Each basket contains several food staples the Kiwanians buy, including pancake mix, syrup, peanut butter, boxed macaroni and cheese, oatmeal and breakfast cereal in addition to donated canned and nonperishable food. They also include a $20 voucher to buy meat and cheese at a local grocery store.

For Thanksgiving and Christmas, food baskets include a turkey dinner with all of the trimmings, including staples such as mashed potatoes, flour, sugar, milk and eggs. In past years, Wolf said the Mustang Kiwanis have spent as much as $3,000 for perishable foods for Thanksgiving baskets alone.

The Kiwanians raised about $1,000 in a recent garage sale, but Muse said the Kiwanis Krypt haunted house fundraiser fell short. Only 200 people came through the haunted house raising about $600 for the food pantry.

“Last year we did about twice that number,” Muse said. “People are cutting back a little bit on expenses.”

Besides money, Muse said Mustang Kiwanis also needs more members and volunteers. Their membership ranks number about 25 people, with about 15 who are really active.

To deliver the holiday food baskets, he said volunteers divide into 10 pairs of two Kiwanians and take 10 to 15 baskets to families at their homes.
“It takes all of us,” he said.

To help, call Muse at 376-2695.

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